WC team preview: WI have too much to overcome

No side has its backs to the wall in the 2015 World Cup more than the West Indies. Ironically, the winners of the 1975 and 1979 editions are the most troubled team heading into the tournament. 2014 was their worst year in recent memory, not just in terms of performance on the field but also due to events outside of it. Despite having an average ODI record, winning seven out of the 13 matches they played, the abandoned tour of India following a disagreement between the board and its players and the consequences that followed were forgettable chapters in the history of West Indies cricket.

Furthermore, the exclusion of limited-overs specialists Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard generated a lot of heat from current and former players. The team has a lot to deal with and the fact that they are placed alongside teams such as India, Pakistan and South Africa promises to make their life difficult in Australia and New Zealand.

Group: Pool B

Captain: Jason Holder

Strengths

Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy give West Indies the firepower to last the distance, but the fact that they've performed in patches is what worries them the most. In the absence of Bravo and Pollard, these three experienced campaigners will have to shoulder most of the responsibility. Gayle and Sammy played only a handful of matches in 2014 but their big-hitting prowess needs no introduction. Samuels, on the other hand, did well last year with 303 runs with an average of 101.

Weakness

Inconsistency has plagued them throughout the last decade. Almost all their players are capable but at the same time marred by the irregularity to contribute. Dwayne Smith, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo and Kemar Roach will need to raise the bar if they are to help take the team forward.

X-factor

The return of Sunil Narine will give the bowling a much-needed boost. Narine's action was deemed illegal during the Champions League T20 and he was subsequently withdrawn from the tour to India and was not selected for the ODI series against South Africa.

According to WICB, Narine had opted to rehabilitate himself and considering that he has been picked, the selectors must be confident that he has made the necessary adjustments. It would be Narine's first time at a World Cup as he made his ODI debut in December 2011. The wily offspinner has shown time and again that he is not easy to put away in the limited-overs format.

Dark Horse

Denesh Ramdin's appointment as Test skipper has helped him improve in ODIs. A talented wicketkeeper-batsman, Ramdin possesses unmistakable skills with both the gloves and the bat, but didn't use them consistently until last year, where he scored 516 runs at 57.33, including two centuries. Batting at No 5 or 6, Ramdin's exploits with the bat can come in handy provided a platform is provided by the top-order.

Squad

Jason Holder (captain), Marlon Samuels, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor.

ODI form guide (last six months)

v South Africa: 3-1 (Away with one match remaining)

v India: Lost 2-1 (Away)

v Bangladesh: Won 3-0 (Home)

What they did in the 2011 World Cup

Despite losing to South Africa, India and England, victories over Netherlands, Bangladesh and Ireland took West Indies through to the quarter-final of the 2011 edition, where they finished second-best to Pakistan. It once again highlighted their inability to come good against a quality opposition and even though they won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2012, their ODI form is nowhere near their lofty credentials as a T20 team.

Fixtures

February 16: v Ireland, Nelson

February 21: v Pakistan, Christchurch

February 24: v Zimbabwe, Canberra

February 27: v South Africa, Sydney

March 06: v India, Perth

March 15: v UAE, Napier